Tying Loose Ends
by uhohherewego
Summary: Franziska has a card that's been lying around in her purse and once she discovers it, she realizes its only in everyone's best interests if she returns it... or maybe she's just making excuses to meet an old enemy.


Phoenix Wright twirled the empty wine glass that was previously standing still on the table he was sitting on at 'Gourmet', a fancy new restaurant recommended by Maya Fey that made his wallet lighter and his waistline bigger. He had just finished another annoying blind date, a mother of his daughter Trucy's friend, who kept staring at Phoenix as if he was meat. This date was of course set up by Trucy herself, as she wanted a 'mommy'. Phoenix only did this for her happiness but in the corner of his mind, he knew that none of these women were his type. In the beginning, the women were prettier and younger but he assumed that Trucy was getting desperate and would take any lady for a mother-like figure. However, she was forgetting that by obtaining a mother, Phoenix would get a wife, and though Trucy may have lowered her standards, Phoenix hadn't lowered his.

He gestured at a waiter nearby for the bill and got ready to leave. Phoenix knew his daughter was hiding out in the restaurant, as it was her hobby to spy on her father while he was out on a date so she could coach him with what he was doing wrong. He looked for her but she wasn't around. 'Washroom, probably,' he thought to himself. He got out his black leather wallet and pulled out a few crisp $100 bills, tossing them casually on the table. It was just at that moment that a well dressed blue haired female sat down across from him, not bothering to say hello and stared at him intently.

"Franziska? Franziska Von Karma? Did Trucy call you?" Phoenix asked, scared and intrigued at the prospect of dating Franziska. Her hair had grown out a few inches and she was wearing it in a loose ponytail. She looked surprisingly worn out.

"It's Franziska Edgeworth actually," she corrected. When she said the word 'Edgeworth', it was so casual... too casual, as if the name had no meaning them anymore when they both knew it clearly did. "And who is... Trucy?"

"Oh I see... how is he anyways? I've tried to get in touch but-" Phoenix started. He was bluffing of course and they both knew it, but she let it slide. After all, she knew Miles had made no effort on his part to contact Phoenix either. "Trucy is my daughter. I adopted her a few years ago. She's been trying to hook me up with random women for some time hoping she might get a mother out of it."

"I see. By the way, he's dead," Franziska mentioned referring to her husband. She was used to bringing up his death whenever asked that it didn't affect her when she _said _it... only when she thought about it.

"Dead?" Phoenix cried. He owed a lot to the deceased. First there was Mia Fey, his mentor. And now Miles, a previous classmate and somewhat of a friend. And of course all the murdered people that he had to bring to justice by convicting their murderers. Phoenix stared at Franziska angrily. He would've wanted to attend Miles' funeral.

"It was a car accident that happened four years ago. I contacted you... actually I contacted your office. I didn't have your personal number, only Wright & Co's. They told me I got the wrong number. Anyways, you can be assured that I got that... _murderer_ convicted," Franziska said with hardened eyes. Phoenix was instantly reminded of the days he was a defense lawyer and Franziska was the prosecutor he'd be facing against. She always had the look she had now, the one of determination.

"I don't doubt that for a second." Phoenix paused, unsure what to speak of now. After all, there was no use crying over spilled milk, so they say. "Why are you here?"

Franziska saw this coming and stared at the table while she spoke. "I have a daughter. Her name is Mila."

Phoenix made the connection between her name and Miles'. Franziska looked up at him and scowled. "Get that smirk off your face Phoenix Wright. Mila is a common German name. Anyways, she was going through my purse. If she was older I wouldn't have forgiven her for this intrusion of privacy but seeing as she's four I can understand that she may have been looking for candy in there."

"So she was born ... after Miles' death?" Phoenix interrupted.

"You know I don't like being interrupted, Phoenix," Franziska responded icily.

"Yeah, I noticed after you used to whip me whenever I said 'objection'," Phoenix retorted. "So?"

"Yes... she was born a few months after Miles' death. So as I was saying, she found... well do you remember the Engarde case?" Franziska asked.

It took Phoenix a few minutes, but he remembered what the case was about. "My first guilty verdict," he replied slowly.

"I still can't believe you aren't angry about your perfect record... I'm still mourning mine. Anyways, there was a fourth piece of evidence if you recall... however, it wasn't actually evidence. Just a drawing, by Maya I believe." Franziska fished through her purse looking for the card. It was still in perfect shape. The same couldn't be said for the other things inside the purse which were worn out. She drew out slowly, and eventually handed it to Phoenix. He reached out for it and looked at for a while. It was a cute drawing of him in black pen and the name 'Nick' on it. He recovered from the shock of remembering Maya's kidnapping and started to joke.

"This is actually a pretty good drawing for someone who must have been really nervous," he commented, referring to Maya. He swore he could hear Franziska mutter the word 'fool' under her breath.

"I had been planning to give you this for a while, but it must have slipped my mind when we met after the case. To think that all these years this card was just sitting here. Now that it's in your possession, I guess my job here is done." Franziska rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. She turned and was ready to walk out, but something stopped her. She slightly turned her head, not directly looking at Phoenix. "You know something quite peculiar happened when Mila saw the card. She asked if I had drawn the picture... and if the man on the picture is her father. Funny, isn't it?"

But neither of them was laughing. In fact, Franziska's eyes were starting to water and she quickened her pace towards the door, looking around for something... or someone.

"Wait! Franziska... I just... am sorry. For you, for me, for Miles and... for Mila. That all this happened," he lamely stated.

She turned back to face him, her eyes shining thanks to the tears, that she assumed would fall at a moment's notice if she blinked. "As am I... I'm just... so saddened that she never met her father and how she never will."

The tears were starting to roll down her cheeks and Phoenix went up to her and gave her a much needed hug. During this moment, Trucy walked up to her father, a little girl trailing behind her. The little girl who was behind her had found Trucy spying on the woman she claimed to be her mother so Trucy showed her some magic tricks to keep her quiet. Trucy didn't know the woman her father was talking to, but she had never seen him be as affectionate as this when talking to a woman... except perhaps with the Fey family, but she assumed he saw them more as sisters if anything. Needless to say, her curiosity was burning.

Phoenix noticed the kids first and slowly loosened his arms around Franziska. She sensed this and also did the same. They both turned and looked at their respective children who were just staring at them wide eyed.

"Ahem. Phoenix... this is my daughter, Mila. Mila, this is Mr. Phoenix Wright," Franziska introduced.

"Fee-nicks," Mila repeated slowly. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. "Mommy! This is Nick isn't it?"

Franziska's cheeks reddened as she looked up at Phoenix to see his reaction. His expression was blank so she was unsure what to make of it. Instead, she responded to her daughter. "You're right."

To ease what he sensed was tension Phoenix cleared his throat and looked at Mila. "Nice to meet you. I see you've met my daughter Trucy."

"She was showing me magic!" Mila squealed.

Phoenix smiled thinly and gave Trucy a look, which she knew meant that she should go away. "Come on Mila, I'll show you some more," Trucy declared, reaching out for the little girl's hand.

Phoenix then turned his attention back to Franziska. "You know, if you ever want to drop off Mila at my place... I wouldn't mind looking after her."

"Somehow, I don't think she's the one that needs looking after," Franziska said with a hollow laugh. "I think that would be nice."

Phoenix proceeded to scribble his address and number on a spare napkin lying nearby and handed it to Franzsika. "You're welcome to come too," he clarified.

"I think I might take you up on that offer," Franziska decided. "Besides, didn't you say Trucy needed a mother?"

They both smiled at each other and Franziska turned to look for her daughter. The little girl came running up to the two with Trucy a few steps behind. "Mommy, I don't want to go! Can't we stay?" she wailed.

Franziska glared at her, but Phoenix squeezed her shoulder. "Be patient with her, she's just a child."

Franziska sighed and looked at her daughter once again, softening her gaze. "We'll visit Trucy and Mr. Nick soon, I promise."

Mila turned to look at 'Mr. Nick' and proceeded to give him a hug and audibly whispered the word, 'daddy'. Everyone had a different expression on their face. Franziska, of embarrassment. Trucy, of surprise. And Phoenix of confusion.

"Uh, I'm not your dad kiddo," he started and Mila started to frown. "But! I'll try to be a close second. After all, your dad was a really good friend of mine," he amended.

Mila stayed quiet and Franziska took this opportunity to scoop up her child and pat her back. "It's time to go dear."

She turned to Phoenix with an expression that he wasn't sure how to react so he just put his hand on her cheek and she slightly leaned into it, closing her eyes briefly. "I'll be waiting," he whispered. Franziska opened her eyes and lazily smiled at him. "Goodbye Mr. Wright. Trucy."

Trucy gave her a curt nod and turned to her father as Franziska walked away. "You certainly have some explaining to do."

Phoenix only tousled her hair in return and led her out the restaurant door.

A/N: This was a completely random idea that came to me while I was doing my chores (ideas really do come at the weirdest of times). Basically, I liked that Franzsika/Miles ship AND Franziska/Phoenix... with this story I guess you could say you kinda get both. I hope it wasn't too _ to read and please read and review :D


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